Cradle
by VanG Ziggy ZA
Summary: 10 years after the end of the war, Zuko plans a peace Conference. But his sister has other ideas. Can Zukos family and friends help him?


Ziggy's Corner: Okay this is my tenth Avatar story. And I seriously have a truckload of them coming, so keep your eyes peeled. This one is a one shot, and takes place ten years after Ozai and the Fire Nation are defeated. I was going to make this a Zusuki fiction, but after the second season started, and I saw the Cave of the Two Lovers, I decided to make it Zusong instead. Hopefully you Zutara fans don't crucify me. It should be a good story with the exception of the romance angle that could get me cyberly killed. Anyway on with the story! Runs screaming as the Zutara crowd approaches with a cross and nails

Song: That's enough you guys, leave him alone!  
Thanks.  
Song: No problem.  
I was really scared there for a moment.  
Song: Either you write this thing or I CRUCIFY YOU!  
Gulp

CRADLE

Ten years ago, it had all ended. Zuko walked through the town square, looking up at the massive statue of his uncle, proclaiming him a hero of the revolution that helped Avatar Aang bring down the tyranny of his own brother, Zuko's father and sighed. "I could really use your help here, uncle."

"You'll do fine," a sweet voice said behind him, soft fingers holding on tight to his shoulders. Zuko turned and faced his wife of five years. Song looked at him tenderly and smiled. "Who better to lead our nation in peace than the Fire Lord who brought peace to the world?"

"I did have some help in that area," Zuko chuckled. His dark brown hair had grown down to his neck now, and a few strands of hair flowed over his eye, shadowing his scar. The young Fire Lord sported a goatee which his wife was mixed over, and his body was strong and tight, packed with muscles. "I just hope these talks manage to reunite our people."

Shortly after the defeat of the Fire Nation, many nobles and higher ranking officials distrustful of their new king followed his sister, Azula, to the southern areas of the island, and founded the Southern Kingdom of Agni-Shiv, where she was crowned the queen. Zuko's army, what remained of it, was constantly patrolling the borders of the southern realm, in case Azula's sword hand got to itchy.

"You'll do the best you can do," Song insisted. "You're friends will be there, they'll help you." She pushed forward and whispered in his ear coyly. "And you'll always have me." Zuko relaxed and inched nearer to her, to kiss her cheek, but she put a finger out. "Not until you shave that thing off."

"Again with the goatee," Zuko sighed.

"It looks like you dribbled food there months ago and forgot to clean it up," she giggled.

"Well," he said, straightening up, "I think it makes me look more regal." He smirked at her, "Besides, Katara liked it"  
"So did I when you first grew it, but you're told old to have one now," Song teased. "Besides, you married me, not Katara. And you'd probably wet your pants if I told you want she thinks of it now."

A glimmer of mischief shone in his eyes, and he inched nearer to her. "Is that so? Too old am I?" he smiled. "Could an old man do this?" Zuko launched himself at his wife, and pulled her down, pinning her in the long blades of grass of the Imperial Park. His hands slipped to her sides, and squeezed, and wiggled. She squealed and thrashed on the ground as he tickled her sides and ribs. "So what exactly did Katara say about my goatee?"

"That's confidential," Song wheezed between gasps of laughter. She kicked with her legs, but he had pinned her squarely, there was little hope of escape, unless she tired the maneuver he'd shown her when they were dating. Song did her best to roll into as tight a ball as she could, and then spun, knocking her husband off balance, and planting herself on top of him. "A secret between girls, only," she playfully growled, tickling her husband in revenge.

"Hey, no fair," Zuko cried with laughter. "Song let me up, please, it's a truce okay?"

"A truce?" Song asked in a sing song manner. Her hands slinked toward his underarms, and the fire lord whelped in fear and apprehension for what might happen next.

"Okay, okay, okay," he cried, "you win!" His wife stared at him lovingly and rose from his body, helping to his feet. The people in the town square and in the park looked at their royal family and chuckled or shook their heads, or simply blinked. There had not been such a playful couple, who were determined to be as close to their subjects as these two were, since well before Sozen ascended his throne. Well before even Sozen's great-grandfather had done so. This was a new thing for the people, and while they thought it strange, they oddly found it refreshing too.

Song kissed his cheek, and turned away. "I've got a meeting to attend, my beloved," she sang. "I wish I could stay, but it would be rude to be late."

Zuko smiled and sighed. "I understand. I suppose I really should look over those development scrolls, and then check on how the conference is shaping up." They kissed again, and walked hand in hand, until they were where they had to part. With a wave, they turned and disappeared.

Three days had passed since they're frolic in the park. It was time for the conference that would bring a lasting peace to their world, or threaten it with the promise of more war. Zuko was determined to stop that at all costs. He sat on a large brown chair made from special oak brought over from the Earth Kingdom nation of Chol?. He could have had his father's throne, or had throne made of gold for himself, but he was determined not to be that kind of person. He would be a people's king.

Zuko watched as dozens of dignitaries walked through his walls, and sat down in the chair arranged for them. Generals and kings from all of the Earth Kingdoms were there, as was also Chief Arnook from the Northern Water Tribe, as well as General Sokka from the Southern Water Tribe, his wife, Suki, their two children, and his father. The Fire Lord smiled and walked up to the general, extending his hand in friendship. Ten years ago they had been bitterest of enemies, Zuko hunting him down to catch the Avatar to bring to his father. They're relationship strained after that, as Zuko's uncle trained the avatar in Fire Bending, and they become reluctant comrade in arms. He'd dated Katara for a while, before the girl realized her feelings for the Avatar, and they left as friends. It was later that he'd gone through his uncle's journal and remembered about Song.  
Sokka later became the new fire lord's best friend. They joked about their past, hunted in the royal fields, and Sokka even helped build a hospital in the capital city. The general looked at the fire lord, then down to his hand and took it, shaking it vigorously. "It's nice to see you again, your highness."

"Since when are you so formal?" Zuko asked with a smile.

"Since I insisted on it," Suki joked. "You have no idea what a crude person, my husband can be." She giggled, dressed in her warrior clothes of Kyoshi Island, and poked Sokka in the stomach. "He's been gaining a lot of weight too."

"Thanks to all those high cholesterol meals from your island," the general said, raising an eyebrow. He turned to his friend and nodded. "But it is good to see you again, Zuko." Never in a million years did I ever think I would have said that to him ten years ago.

"We're happy to have you two here too," Song said. "How is Katara?"

"You're about to find out," Suki said. They turned to face a massive roar of applause as the most powerful Water Bender and her husband, the Avatar Aang.

Katara was beautiful beyond words. Her hair flowed over shoulders like a cascade of chocolate water. Her eyes shone with blue light and she smiled, brightening the whole room. Her body was thin, but shapely. She looked over at her friends and family and waved, taking her husband's hands.

Aang was still as thin as he was when he was twelve. He had muscles, and he head a short bead that wrapped around his upper lips and down to his chin. His head was as bald as ever, though the tattoo on his head never looked more impressive. He looked at the small band of family and friends and nodded, smiling that same grin he had ever since coming back into their world after being in that iceberg for one hundred years. It was still the smile of a sly, impish boy, and the avatar, even though he was twenty-two, was ever the prankster he had ever been.

"Your highness," he said to Zuko as he approached, with a nod of his head.

"What is with everyone calling me that today?" Zuko asked with a laugh. He put his hands on the avatar, and Aang gave him a small blessing.

"I wish I could have done better, but honestly I'm no sage."

"You did fine, 'Your Grace'," Zuko said with a smug smile. As to sages were concerned, they both had their hands full. Thanks to the late, not so great, Admiral Zhao, the Fire Nation's last Fire Sages were executed for treason, though there was only Shiju had betrayed the kingdom. Zuko had found suitable men who were able to take their places, but there was a long road to take before they'd be close to as talented.

Aang had found a few people who had a hidden talent for air bending, and was now teaching them their talents. The Air Nomads were well on the way to fully recovering, though there weren't anyone near good enough to make a decent Air Sage, other than Aang himself.

It was then that there was a gasp and whispers of disgust. They turned as a large contingency of Fire Nation soldiers entered the building. That wasn't quite right anymore. They were now Agni-Shiv soldiers. Their armor looked the same, though they reverted to the costume design of one hundred years ago, and their colors were darker red, with grayish areas. Their face masks were more skull like, more predatory.

In their mist, sitting on her throne of gold, sitting in a carried coach that with light blue curtains, sat the twenty-five year old Queen of Flames, Azula. Her hair was tied together, in the form of their family, and she leaned against her left fist, as she stared at the crowd, through her mask of solid gold. Nine years ago Zuko and she had gotten into a race to capture Aang, during the fire lord's last ditch effort to try honor the old ways … their father's ways. Azula had gotten in front of Zuko's attack, and his flames seared her face, stretching from ear to ear. Afterwards, their father exiled her, for failing to get either Zuko and their uncle, or the avatar, and Azula donned a cloth mask, to hide her shame. After the secession of the south, she exchanged the clothe for the gold one she was now wearing. Her brown eyes focused on the crowd, and finally she waved her hands, and her servants placed the movable chair in its appropriate spot.

Zuko swallowed, looking at his sister, and turned to his wife. "It'll be okay, Zuko," she whispered. He smiled, kissed her cheek, and took his own place. He wished he could have had more time with his friends, but the conference had to start now, if it was going to do any good.

"Dear dignitaries," he said, after Aang offered a pray. "Thank you all for coming to this historic conference. I hope that years from now, our children's, children's children remember what we do here today." His voice was strong, and echoed through the whole hall. "I know there are many of you here, who are skeptical of my nation's intentions, but rest assure, what we wish for now is only peace between ourselves and our neighbors. It is my great hope that we will forge a peace agreement that will last for a long time."

They sat, listening to him speak, conferring with each other if they could trust this young man and his words of peace. His grandfather, Drona had long claimed a wish for peace, only to further his country's holdings in everyone else's lands. Was Zuko simply coping family, or was he being sincere?

"How can you claim to keep peace in our world, to keep us safe, when you couldn't even keep a promise to your father and mother?" a voice called out. Eyes turned toward Azula and she smiled smugly.

"The chair does not recognize the delegates of Agni-Shiv at this time," Zuko snapped, glaring at his sister.

"Doesn't recognize?" she taunted, feigning confusion. "Oh, it must be the mask." Her fellow delegates laughed bitterly as they watched their queen work.

"Azula, I am warning you, this is a peace meeting. I won't have any of your foolishness here," Zuko growled.

"So you do recognize your handiwork, Zuzu, I'm impressed." Her grin widened as his body tightened with the hated nickname she'd given him years ago. "But my point is, how can we trust you with a cry of peace, when you constantly harass my country's borders with your military presence."

"Azula, stop this nonsense now," Aang barked, shooting to his feet.

"Avatar Aang," she snidely interrupted, her neck twisting to look at him. "I was not talking to you."

"The delegates of the nation of Agni-Shiv will take their place, and keep still, or they will be asked to leave this conference," Zuko roared out, his voice rising in competition with the clamor that was beginning to take hold of the meeting. "This chair also asks the delegates from the other nations to please calm down, and take their seats."

"The delegates of Agni-Shiv do not recognize the chair's authority in their affairs," Azula barked. "How can you insist on being a good leader, a father to your people, when you could not even keep your word to mother and father about, Jei."

All eyes were on Zuko, who's body was shaking, and who's eyes were wide at the sound of that name. The fire lord swallowed and shook his head. "That's not what this conference is about, Azula," he said, his voice low. He felt Song's eyes on him, and mentally he begged her to let it go.

"Ah, I see you haven't even told your wife," Azula mocked. "Perhaps not even your friends?"

"Azula, I can see that this is not going to resolve anything, therefore the chair humbly suggests that the delegates of Agni-Shiv please leave." His shoulders were slumped, a wave of trauma and emotion washed over him.

"So you promise peace to everyone but your sister." Her eyes were tight and focused. She watched his subjects, friends, and family, watching him, seeing him shake, and have to take his chair to calm down. The evil young woman smiled contentedly. "I suggest an idea," she said, taking her own seat. "I challenge you to an Agni-Kai. If you win, then we'll leave this conference, but if not, then the presidency of this conference is passed to me, and we'll discus the peace terms according what really is important."

"You mean no peace unless its peace under the rule of your thumb," one of the Water Tribe delegates snapped. "If that's the case, my delegation will not participate in this circus."

"Your Honor," Chief Arnook said, approaching Zuko by his title of "president of the conference", "I humbly ask that you end this foolishness, and have the delegates from Agni-Shiv removed."

"Sure, Zuko, turn your back your sister, just like you did to Jei," Azula continued to mock.

"The Fire Nation no longer participates in the uncivilized duel of Agni-Kai," Zuko snapped. It had been his wedding gift to Song, and a gift long overdue. So many talented people had died, simply because tempers were too strong.

"So you have no honor, and you are a coward?" Azula shook her head. "No wonder Jei died in his cradle that night."

"Zuko, who is Jei," Song finally asked forcefully.

"Duel me, Zuzu, and let them find out," Azula snapped with a wide grin. Her brother clenched his fist and looked away. "You never could bring yourself to face that night," she giggled.

The fire lord rose to his feet and sighed. "One last time," he turned to his wife and held her hand. "This will be the last time this ever happens, I promise you." Zuko walked down from his chair and approached his sister.

"I win, and this is over. You leave." She cocked her head with a smile, and just stared.

They stood on opposing sides of the field. He knew his wife was upset with him, and more so since he refused to tell her what his sister had been talking about. It's going to be a lonely couple of nights on the royal sofa for me. He managed to smile about that and then sighed. At least I can find some humor in something through all this. The fire lord rose to his full height, and turned as the cloth fell from his back.

Azula stood, wearing a cloth mask across her face again, her thin body shining in the bright sun. How she relished this. Nine years of embarrassment would end. Twenty years of nightmares would end. Her fingers clenched as electricity ran through her knuckles. She shifted her pale bare feet in the direct and waited for the single to start. How she willed for the power in her body to be let loose, to strike Zuko down where he stood, and take both thrones. Jei, Jei would be avenged as well.

The signal was released, and the two rushed each other, fists and feet, flame and lightning clashed as the two twenty something monarchs met in combat. The dirt whipped up around them as they fought, dodging and slamming each other like two machines ready to disassemble each other.

"You had no right to bring him up," Zuko growled as they closed the gap between them yet again, their fists meeting each other like to rhinos butting horns. "This wasn't what the conference was about!"

"So your people had no right to know their king was a murderer?" Azula asked, kicking him square in the chest, bringing him down, before a round house whirlwind kick caught her off balance. In the stands she could hear her sister-in-law gasp.

"I'm not a murderer," Zuko growled. He grabbed her ankle and twirled her around slamming his fist against her face, knocking the mask from her face.

Azula looked up before letting loose a lightning storm at him, striking his arms and sides. The hideous scar stretched from deformed ear to ear, stretching across her face like a grotesque brown and red mask made of dead flesh. "You did this to me if you recall! Just as father gave you your scar. Like father, like son!"

Zuko felt his muscles tighten and then grow weak, and he dropped to a single knee, as if he were paying homage to her. "I didn't mean to do that to you," he growled. "You know that!"

"But you still did, and you allowed Jei to die in his crib," she growled with a smile and kicked him back down, holding him to the ground with a single foot. The blood in her body rushed through her veins as she pinned him there. "All you needed to do was tell mother and father what happened, all you needed to keep your eyes on him, and you refused to do that one simple thing!" She kept stomping on his chest, reveling in his groans of pain.

"I was seven years old!" Zuko roared, knocking her off of him. He grabbed her arm and flung her around, before releasing her, and sending her into the stadium, wall. "Seven, Azula, seven years old!"

"That makes it okay then?" his sister sighed, holding her broken nose. "But what if it happened again Zuko? What if your child were sick, and you did nothing? What would Song do or what would she say?"

"Zuko?" Song leaned over the coliseum. Her eyes were filled with pain, her chest tightened as she watched her husband drop to his knees again, as her husband and his sister tested each other in a skill of strength, and the evil queen was matching him steel will for steel will. "Who is Jei?"

One of the guards, an elderly man looked at his queen and back at the combatants. "Their brother, Prince Jei. He was found dead in his cradle one day."

"Because of you, Zuko!" Azula growled. "You let him die! You were supposed to be watching him!" She was pummeling him now, with her brother giving nearly no resistance. "So you were seven, you still had a sacred duty to defend him, but you allowed him to suffocate while you slept!" Each word grew louder and more fierce. "Murderer! Betrayer! No wonder father said you were only lucky to be born! No wonder his animosity to you!"

"Stop it, leave him alone!" Song cried out. She tried to go down to the arena, but Aang and Sokka quickly stopped her. "Let me go! I have to go to him!" Her tears were flowing. "Can't you see his pain?" she turned to her captain, to ask him to take the men off of her, but he had disappeared.

"How can you even pretend to defend your nation, and protect it, if you left your own brother to die like that?" She was bending his fingers back, the bones cracking as he grunted in agony. "You could just surrender, be the coward you are." She smiled, "But then I'm really enjoying torturing you. If there was some way to keep our youth for eternity I would go about making you suffer forever."

"Don't listen to her, Zuko, it wasn't your fault," Song cried.

"And you were there?" the queen of flames asked, looking at the other woman. "No, you didn't see Jei lying there, his skin gray blue, his tongue sticking from his mouth. We all knew he was sick, that he was having a hard time breathing. Zuko was to simply watch during the night. Alert mother and father if something happened. But he fell asleep. He let Jei suffocate!" She kicked her brother down, "Failure," she growled. This felt good. He was weakening with each second. Those peace delegates were now seeing their chairman for what he was. That was part of her act. If they saw him for how she did, they might not want to listen to him. They might appreciate her more. And if the Fire Nation understood Zuko like she did, they'd throw him off he throne put her on. Then the war could continue, and the entire world would be hers. Jei would also be avenged.

"Even mistakes like that can be forgiven," Aang said. "He didn't mean to fall asleep, he was seven, and the worry for his brother probably made his body weak with fatigue."

"None of this has anything to do with the Peace Conference," Katara growled. "You know that Azula, you're using your brother for your own selfish reasons. Whose worse, Zuko for giving in to his tiredness, or you who has no care about your little brother anyway?"

"How dare you!" Azula growled. "I loved Jei, I loved him more than anyone in my family," her tears rolled down her burnt cheeks.

"But you're willing to use his memory to justify this cruel hoax," the water bender snarled.

"Shut your mouth, peasant," Azula barked. Her attention diverted, his friends and family defending him, Zuko stood up behind her and slammed her with a gust of fire, sending her reeling back into the walls of the coliseum.

"Perhaps you should shut yours," he growled. Another blast of flames kept her against the walls. "You claim to care about Jei, but you want to use him to dishonor me, and take power for yourself." His teeth gnashed together and he flexed his muscles. "I won't let you use him like father used us," he kicked her in the side, and sent her collapsing. "I won't let you dishonor his memory." Another kick sent her on her back. "And I won't let you ruin these peace talks with your ego and lust for power!"

Just as he went to throw the last punch, the elderly captain ran on the field, begging him to stop. Under his arm, he held a large scroll. "Your Majesty, your highness," he called to the brother and sister. He was out of breath, sweat rushed down his body as he looked at them. "I must confess that I recall reading something years ago that I thought was a bit of fiction until today." He unrolled the scrolls and looked at them. "I was just a young man when I was promoted to palace duty. But I recall the night you are both talking about." The captain swallowed and handed the scroll to his king.

"Your drink was poisoned with a sleeping substance that night, Lord Zuko," he began.

The fire lord frowned and looked at the scroll. "But who would…"

"Your father," the guard said. He pointed to writing clearly in the hand style of the former fire lord. "Your brother was deformed in his legs, and your father thought that such a son would have been too great a disgrace to his house. So when you fell asleep, because of the mixture he put in your cup, he smothered the boy."

They looked at the document, clearly shocked and horrified. How could he have done such a thing? The death of Jei caused their mother so much heartache that she too died. Had she known the truth, that it was her husband and not by chance that her son was dead?

Azula was pale as she leaned against the wall and looked up at her brother. "So finish it," she hissed.

"There's been enough bloodshed by one member of our family against another already," Zuko said, with a shake of his head.

"If you honor me, then finish me. What do I have to live for now? If you kill me, the southern realms would easily fall into your hands too."

"No one more than myself would love to see our people reunited, but not at the cost of bloodshed," he said. "I will not do it."

"Then allow me leave to my own country," she said, pushing by him. "You have my word that my forces will not invade the north."

The last ten days of the peace conference, which was now named after the fire lord's younger brother, went on without a hitch. The delegates hacked out a peace that did indeed look like it would last through the ages, and Fire Lord Zuko was proclaimed an apostle of peace by everyone who knew him.

Now that a month had passed since the conference, Zuko found himself staring at the statue of his "real" father, his Uncle Iroh more and more. Iroh had done more, treated him more, and taught him more, than his own biological father ever had. "I wish you could still be here, uncle," Zuko said at the statue.

Song walked up behind him and placed her slender fingers on his shoulders. "Where ever he is, he's proud of you, you know," she whispered in his ear.

"I know," Zuko said, with barely little facial expression.

"And you're a good king," she continued.

"I know," he said again.

"And a good friend and husband," she continued, kissing his ear.

She managed to get a smile from him that time. "So you keep telling me."

"Although you'd look much better without that stupid goatee," she giggled.

He glared at her and poked her in her ribs. "The goatee stays," he growled playfully.

"And what would you tell your child about it?" she asked, placing her hands on her stomach.

Zuko began to talk, and then stopped, his eyes growing wide. "Wait, my child?"

She shrugged playfully. "Well, yours and mine of course."

Zuko stared at her for a long time, before grabbing her into his arms and swinging her around madly, laughing until tears poured down his cheeks. "My child, my son," he stared at her, "or daughter."

"Or both, or two sons and a daughter, or two daughters and a son, or three sons or …," she giggled.

Zuko kissed her lips and looked at her with the widest smile he had ever done, his eyes twinkling. "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves."

"Never, beloved," she said with a twinkle in her own eye. They held each other for a long time, until the sun set on that day, and would hold each other in that same spot each day of their lives. Peace had come to the world once again, and the days that followed were only as promising as the beginning had been.

Okay! So that's the story! How did you like it?

Song: I liked it fine!

I know you did, but what about the reviewers! I have to admit that I like writing Zusong stories. I'm going to write a lot more of these types of stories. Of course don't worry, I'll be writing Zutara stories too, but they might end up being dwarfed by Zusong.

Song: I like Songzu better.

O…kay. Anyway Please ready and review!

Song: And please be nice, because I'll cry if not.

Right.

Song: And urge him to create a Songzu C2 link.

It'll probably be a Zusong one, but same difference.

Song: THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENCE! GIRLS ARE BETTER THAN BOYS!

Yet again, o…kay! I happen to be a guy. Anyway say goodnight Song.

Song: Goodnight Song.

Zuko: What have YOU unleashed upon now!

Sigh, just read and review folks!

Zuko: GOOD GOD! She's got a hold of my hip and she's not letting go!

You said you liked this story too…. 


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